What Seems to be the End
by arushofbloodtothehead
Summary: Damon: "She's your daughter, Liz." Liz: Not anymore. My daughter is gone. Damon: "You have no idea how wrong you are about that." - Damon comforts Caroline after hearing her mother's heartbreaking words.


Liz frowned as lie after lie slipped out from her lips to her friend on the other line. Until the vervain had worked its way out of her system, the basement of the Salvatore boarding house was her new home.

"It's a stomach bug," She added, her throat clenching as she realized how wrong that sounded. "I'll text you." She glanced over her shoulder at Damon, standing assuredly in the room to ensure she said the right things. He knew well the second she could, she would reveal everything. But what surprised him most wasn't that she would put their lives at stake-it was a given. But that she would put her daughter's life at stake. That was the real reason she was here, after all.

"Thank you." He took the phone from her and slid it into his back pocket. He exhaled, seemingly tired from the day. "Well, it's all downhill from here. The vervain leaves your system, I compell you and you will be free."

Liz's mouth was inset in a frown. It sounded too good to be true, but she didn't want to forget. She didn't want to be blind to what her daughter was. A monster. A killer. The idea itself was sickening. Damon turned his head towards the open door of the cell as footsteps clicked down the stone steps. Liz turned her attention away hastily. "Keep Caroline away from me." She hissed, but tears threatened to break her authoritative tone.

Damon's eyes flickered around the cell, uncertain of his place between the two Forbes women. "She's your daughter, Liz." Liz shook her head, the iridescent lights bleaching out her blonde hair, which was always paler than Caroline's. Hers was golden, like light itself spun into silk. "Not anymore." She continued, turning farther away from the opening. The footsteps had stopped. Good, she thought. She didn't care anymore. Caroline would rip her throat out anyway.

Tears lined her eyes as realization sunk deeper inwards. Was that where Caroline had sunk to? Would she kill her own mother without hesitation? What had become of her sweet little blonde daughter? "My daughter is gone."

Damon glanced towards the opening, also noticing that the footsteps had stopped. But he saw what Liz didn't, and he was sure that if she had, she would have broken immediately. Caroline's eyes were widened slightly with surprise, almost disbelieving that her mother would say that. Usually so bright, they were casted downwards in shame. He wondered if she thought Liz was right. A crease appeared between her shaped brows and her chest shook as if she found it hard to breathe. Something was dropped- it sounded like a bag, and the clicking heels began walking away, fading as she disappeared farther into the house. "You have no idea how wrong you are about that." He murmured, and before realizing it, his legs had taken him out of the cell. He glanced at Stefan, but moved past him as he caught Elena's arm. "Let me." Elena watched him curiously, and seemed to consider his offer. She wondered if she trusted him with Caroline again. But before she knew it, she nodded and Damon continued down the corridor. She looked at Stefan with worried eyes.

Caroline had disappeared somewhere inside the house. Damon listened closely for any sounds or movements, and found that most of them were concentrated two floors upwards, in the bedrooms. He moved with quick speed up the stairs and into one of the spare rooms. Caroline was sitting on the edge, her blonde hair covering her face like a curtain as she leaned forward, her back twitching with soft cries.

"Just go away, Elena." She murmured, her voice thick with tears. She raised a hand and brushed at her cheek. "Just leave me-" Caroline looked up, irritated that the footsteps were not retreating. But inside of finding her friend, she saw Damon standing in the doorway, his hand on the doorknob.

She scoffed, finding the notion of him coming up here ridiculous. "What do you want, Damon? Elena isn't up here." She brushed her fingers underneath her pink eyes, catching any streaks of mascara.

Damon walked inside, pushing the door behind him gently. "I know that. I'm not here for Elena." Caroline looked up at him expectantly, waiting for some sort of jab about her mother. Nothing came. She shifted over on the bed, reluctantly making room for him.

"To be fair," Damon picked up a pillow that was lounging on the bed and placed it onto his lap, his elbows leaning forward on it. "Your mother lived in a bad time. Vampires ran amuck and the attacks were becoming too frequent, hitting too close to home. She's reliving the same experiences." Like her father, he thought. He had heard about the little dungeon chamber below the ground near the Lockwood property. "These ideals are what they grew up with."

Caroline exhaled shakily. The thought of her mother hating vampires to the point where she hated her daughter was heartbreaking. "She said I wasn't her daughter anymore." She mumbled beneath her curtain of golden locks. "She thinks I'm a different person."

A muscle worked in Damon's jaw as he placed his hand on her back delicately, making fresh tears appear on her pink cheeks. "Well, you are." Caroline's brow creased as he looked up at him, but she wasn't surprised at his dry comment. Damon shook his head, chuckling at her angered gaze. "Your mom will be compelled and she will no longer remember what you are. But if you ever decide to tell her again.. you're not girly little Caroline anymore. Show her you can handle yourself."

Caroline nodded, deciding that he was right. If she ever wanted to redo everything, she could. But she would handle it better. Show her mom that she was still the same person, just.. with different habits.

"It's not as bad as it seems, Caroline," He added, his fingers drawing lazy circles on the design of the pillow in front of him. "No mother will truly turn her back on her child. Not without hesitation, reluctance or regret." Caroline seemed to take some comfort in this, her fingers still brushing away tears underneath her eyes.

Damon's slender fingers rose and brushed back a lock of her hair. He was quiet before speaking again. She wondered what he was thinking about. "Did I ever tell you how I died, Caroline?"

Caroline's face was tired, but hopeful. She shook her head, hoping for some sort of distraction. She remembered wondering how Damon came to be, and while she knew about a few of the pieces of the story, like Katherine, for example, she never really knew the entire history. It seemed Damon never cared enough to tell her. His voice was solemn when he began.

"On the night Katherine was taken, she was placed into this carriage, dark and barred. She was weak and tired and I knew she needed to be saved. Stefan and I put our differences aside just until we got her out. He distracted them, I grabbed the key to the carriage and pulled her out. But Stefan hadn't lured all of them away completely." Damon broke off for a moment and glanced down at Caroline. His eyes were colder now, and almost dream-like as if he were rewatching the memories. Caroline, her own turmoils momentarily forgotten, listened earnestly. "Someone shot me, and shortly afterwards, Stefan." Caroline frowned at the story, but the way Damon's eyes seemed to bore into hers, she had a feeling it wasn't the end of the story. "It was our father."

She blinked a few times, her mouth wrought in confusion. "Wait- seriously? Oh, my God, Damon." She shook her head, surprised at the story's end. She hadn't been expecting that. "I'm sorry."

Damon shrugged a shoulder, his nonchalance returning quickly. "I'm not. Stefan killed him a few weeks later." He waved the subject away. She was surprised at how he brushed it off. "What I'm saying is," He continued, his hand making a gesture. "Don't turn your back on your her when she turns her back on you. Because until that happens, there's always hope for everything to change. Maybe if Stefan and I hadn't abandoned our father like that, he wouldn't have been so quick to pull the trigger."

Caroline nodded, swallowing back the rest of her tears. She found it easier to breathe now. "Thank you, Damon." She took a few calming breaths, placing her hand on her forehead. She felt better now- that all hope was not lost. She and her mom wouldn't be estranged forever. She wouldn't allow that to happen, not like it did to Damon. She cautiously lifted her eyes to meet his, and was pleasantly surprised to find how warm they were, despite their icy colour.

He nodded in reply, a small smile appearing on his lips instead of the usual cruel smirk. She couldn't remember when he really smiled at her like that. And if he had, it had been a long time ago..

Damon's eyes became darker, taking in each of her features as they flickered across her face. His fingers brushed against her hair once more, admiring the shine it showcased. Caroline was the first to break the trance as she leaned towards Damon, finding comfort against his lean build. His arm moved to come around her gently, just as a knock was heard on the wooden door.

Liz was standing there, her fingers playing with each other nervously as she glanced down at the floors, her mouth opening hesitantly several times before allowing the words to escape.

"Damon? Could I talk to my daughter for a moment, please?"

He felt Caroline's figure stiffen against his.


End file.
